One would think that once you have managed to get your relatives over here from India that suddenly you would be in touch more than ever. But that isn’t always the case. Somehow, between busy life schedules that include taking kids to soccer practice, school, work, it becomes increasingly difficult to schedule face to face time. When you have found that you are just not able to get that personal time in that you so desperately want, it is time to start thinking about ways you can spend time together remotely.

One of the easiest ways to spend time together is through a phone call. Now, we aren’t saying you should always do whatever is easiest- far from it. Getting your loved ones over here was a monumental task. Sponsorship, interviews, and finally getting that Green Card took a lot of work. What we are suggesting is that you take advantage of your proximity and establish a way to stay in contact that fits your new context.

Signing up for a family plan with a carrier like Straight Talk will allow you to stay in touch with your loved ones at any time of day. Besides unlimited talking and texting, you can also take advantage of great data plans and make use of chatting and video chatting apps. By making use of both real-time and messaging features (whether voice or text), you can be sure you will remain in touch at all times.

Of course, it is easy to imagine that once your family has finally moved over from India that you will be able to spend all of your free time together. But real life has a way of differing from our imagination. It is okay to admit that sometimes all you have time for is a quick voice message or text. Your loved ones will appreciate the time you spend talking to them, and know that you are doing your best to keep the connection you cherish.